


polymorphism

by berryargento



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Art Club, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 15:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8018560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryargento/pseuds/berryargento
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is hard to draw beauty within living colors.— AU. [HonoKoto/NozoNico]</p>
            </blockquote>





	polymorphism

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing(s): HonoKoto, NozoNico - art club!AU  
> Warnings; somehow disjointed (and strange?) I don't know. It was planned to be based 'naked painting' prompt but it went another world altogether.
> 
> As usual, I don't own Love Live! [a tumblr repost]

 

**i.**

"How's finding muses?"

"My sketchbook fell victim to some strange imp." was what Nozomi could say.

The next week when art club holding a meeting, Nozomi and Honoka gathered on her own, whispering to each other, ignoring whatever details their teacher said about the exhibition.

Honoka tilted her head, her interest was piqued, "Strange … imp?"

Nozomi chuckled, "She gave me her autograph as if she was a well-known idol. I began meeting her often on that bench in the afternoon because of she was thinking I was her fan or something." She leaned against the chair, sighed for umpteenth time. "How's yours, Honoka-chan?"

Honoka was flushed red, "I … don't know where to start but … I think I might be _stalking_ someone right now."

.

.

.

Blue eyes were fixed on the poster that her club advisor put up right after the club meeting ended. It was the time for Summer again, the school would be holding an art exhibition, which attracted new students as well as introducing their name within Tokyo area. Every art club members would battle for the reward and a chance for their art being displayed in a special place, with decorated podium and spotlights.

Kousaka Honoka sighed, looked over the theme once again.

This year theme was about 'girl' with no other description, meaning, just like last year, it would be okay to go crazy with details and all possible limits. The deadline would be last week of April, which was pretty much two weeks from now.

"Hmm? Oh, sensei already put it up, yan?" came a familiar voice behind her. Honoka turned to see her art club friend and senior holding her own art supplies, Tojo Nozomi was perplexed after looking at poster's content.

"Nozomi-chan, where were you? Sensei was about to return your painting from last week's assignment."

"I bought new brushes, my old ones pretty much busted already," she answered. "This year theme's a bit hard, eh, Honoka-chan?"

Honoka scratched her nape, "Well, you can pretty much _draw_ anything based on it … hmm …"

"Maybe we should just draw crowds of girls?" Nozomi tilted her head. "What do you think?"

Honoka and Nozomi had been close friends since last year's exhibition because they teamed up to do a mural painting on one of the school's walls, although their style clashed to one another with Honoka focused on abstract color splatters and Nozomi with her realistic style, they managed to pull off a reward of 'Favorite Murals of The Year', consisted of abstract writing along with gigantic bread loaf image—every time they remembered about it, they would just laugh at how stupid and out-of-character the bread was of the frame.

Honoka fished out her A3 sketch book from her bag, "Or we can hire a model from somewhere? You know that one Hanayo-chan found around Akiba—"

"Money, Honoka-chan." Nozomi laughed dryly. "Besides, that red-haired tsundere wouldn't want to pose for us, don't you think?" she ended with a wink.

Honoka rolled her eyes, well, that could be true. Of course, only a rich students could afford to get a model girl for painting, or perhaps they could request their sensei to host one of those famous figure drawing again, but Honoka didn't think it would work well to her favor.

"Guess we need to search around for a muse, yan?" Nozomi suggested. "I'll be around the school grounds to search for inspiration, wanna come with me?"

"I'll go to the rooftop or perhaps ask Umi-chan to be my model, then. See you later!"

* * *

**ii.**

Speaking of which, inspiration was easy to be spoken, but hard to be found.—was Nozomi thought as she slumped herself on the circling bench below a tall tree.

It was a peaceful afternoon, warm without a chance of rain. If you wanted to search for girls, they were everywhere, running here and there between their club activities—well, _this_ was Otonokizaka All Girls' School to begin with—though there were slim chances they would want to pose as a model. Nozomi sighed as she sorted her art supplies inside her bag. She remembered her classmate, Ayase Eli, a star ballerina of school, might be wanting to be a model. Thinking back again, she might have had art club members in the queue, just maybe, since she was well-known.

"Girl as a theme … hmm~" Nozomi spoke to herself. "Will it be okay to draw something like fantasy angel or just looking by photobooks?"

Still, she knew it would ruin the fun.

Nothing beats looking and observing the _real_ model with her bare eyes, be it animals, natures, anything, it wouldn't be same if she just copied from a book.

Nozomi had a plan in mind to draw something angel-themed, yet to corporate it with 'girl' theme was a bit … challenging.

As she was about to leave for going to shrine, someone filled a spot beside her, sitting without care to the world, startling her from her own trance. The girl was wearing the same green tie in her uniform, though she never remembered she ever seen a girl with twin-tailed raven hair and intimidating red eyes before.

Nozomi was too busy observing as she failed to notice that those gaze pierced to her emerald now.

"Huh? What are you looking at?" with an annoyed tone she spoke. "Am I sitting at your place or something?"

"Err, no?" the painter averted her gaze.

"Ohh, I get it," the petite girl smirked. "You want an autograph, don't you?"

Nozomi was beyond dumbfounded, unable to form a reply except an arching brow. Like, _who the hell are you sprouting nonsense?_ kind of thinking.

"So I'm right, huh? Hmph, guess I can't help it."

"Hey that's my sketchbook—"

And there, the first and foremost page is occupied with wide autograph of Yazawa Nico.

* * *

**iii.**

Usually, the school rooftop would be dead quiet. Nobody; no clubs, no students would find the rooftop usable except for searching a fresh air. This place has been Honoka's secret base for drawing since ages, she would bring her snacks along her easel at times when it was not raining, starting to paint anything inside her mind. Sometimes, she would pour her ideas in her sketchbook, but she forgot to bring it more than not, leaving her to do a doodle inside whatever book she had inside her bag.

However that afternoon, Honoka was preceded by a stranger.

When she opened the door to the rooftop, she heard a faint sound of upbeat music, around the corner after wall blocks. She decided to take slow, careful steps and took a peek at whoever was there.

One grey-haired girl was there, dancing to her heart content, bathed in afternoon sun. Sweat trickled from her forehead as she picked up her pace, following where the song went to. She did a final spin, showing every curve with grace.

Her breath stopped, just like the song ended. The mysterious girl wiped her sweat and huffed, while she held the utmost urge to clap loudly at her performance.

"… Who's there?"

_Crap._

Honoka didn't think of anything except sprinting away from the scene.

* * *

**iv.**

"Wow, Nozomi-chan, this autograph sure is huge," Honoka said as she turned Nozomi's first page of the sketchbook, looking at a simple, circle sign with the name, written in red ink. "You must be lucky!"

"If only she _is_ really a famous person, yan," Nozomi laughed, she set up her easel to face the window. "I don't get any sense of familiarity with her, maybe she's indeed bluffing. You're luckier than me, Honoka-chan."

As if on cue, Honoka blushed, thinking back how much she had spilled to her senior. "Well. I was … umm … _not_ _interested_ in her dance. I was, I was … _interested_ at how she danced."

Nozomi's smirk grew wider, "I see that you got your model already~"

"I'm only observing her from afar! I can be out there to ask her to be my model!" Honoka rejected the idea.

_Though she couldn't help to trip back at how perfect those movements was, the grey-haired girl was too beautiful beyond words to describe._

"But you sure sketch her a lot huh, for example in your math book—"

"Nozomi-chan, give it baaack!"

* * *

**v.**

After the whole meeting and trying to paint inside club room, she still hadn't found the right thing to be presented. This week, too, she spend her time scribbling flowers that bloomed around school grounds, until a certain someone came.

"You're sketching again."

"Is there a problem with it?" Nozomi hummed, fixated over her paper. "I love drawing in simple colors."

Nico inched closer to Nozomi, looking over what Nozomi was drawing.

"Only flowers? Don't you want to draw something else?" came another bored comment. "Like, you can draw me, for example."

Nozomi dropped her pencil, "Huh?"

"What? Is my Nico-nii charm overwhelms you?"

Nozomi held her urge to laugh out loud, "Do you mean sketching your _flat board_ chest?"

Nico shot up, eyes flaring, "Hey! That's a very harsh insult you titty monster!"

"My? I'm sorry but I'm just being honest~" she spared a chuckle. "And it's Nozomi to you, Nicocchi."

Yazawa Nico, she re-spelled the name inside her mind, a self-proclaimed famous person who signed her dear sketchbook. She never ever heard her name once in her lifetime, let alone seeing the petite girl around the school that often, Nico was just there, bugging her, nagging her, sitting there with her almost every afternoon watching her sketching while talking nonsense—

_Really, what was that girl even doing there?_

"What's with the nickname?"

"Cute nickname suits cute person, don't you think?" Nozomi winked.

* * *

**vi.**

Indeed, her very action she repeated almost every afternoon was already far at the level of 'stalking'.

Perhaps a word 'obsession' should replace it for eternity.

Honoka hid well, seeking a right angle to watch the grey-haired girl dancing there when she ended up sketching at the same time.

Her amber eyes were dazzling; it was not directed at hers as it was focused to nonexistent spot, while she kept herself occupied with her moves, the way her body languidly moved against the air, following the song's current, her exposed skin, her satisfied expression after she finished a set of dance move … every ounce of her was breathtaking to see.

She didn't know if there was _any_ color that could represent her.

"Caught you."

A sing-song voice wake her from her dear imaginary world, making her impulsively closed whatever book she was jotting her sketch into. Blue eyes met with sweet, loving amber this time, the dancing girl was smiling down at her.

Abruptly, Honoka lowered herself to the ground.

"—S-Sorry! I, I won't be here ever again! P, Please forgive m—"

"It's okay, it's okay," the girl chirped, an amused look was apparent on her face. "I don't mind being watched."

[The first time she saw the smile, the more she wanted to stay.]

.

"I'm Kousaka Honoka," the orange-haired girl began, slightly choking on her way speaking, sure nervousness building inside her fast. "A-And you are?"

"You can call me Kotori."

* * *

**vii.**

Nozomi already counted how fast Nico would walk and sit beside her, how many times they spent together talking about nonsense while she sketched nonsense, and they parted ways.

This time, however, she wanted to try something different, but it would still involving her sketchbook in some way.

"How about we go out today, Nicocchi?"

"Huh?" Nico stared back, dumbfounded.

"Like eating outside?" Nozomi said. "I won't keep you long."

"Hmm, guess I can't reject you, huh?" the ruby-eyed girl hummed. "Oh well, let's go."

Nozomi walked beside Nico, trying to match her step, holding her sketchbook in anticipation.

.

They picked the nearest fast-food restaurant, ordering nothing but fries and drinks, sitting down and doing the same idle chatters. Nozomi refrained herself from touching her sketchbook for Nico to know, only picking on the fries at first, sometimes giggling at Nico's bored frame.

"What is it, something funny?"

"No, nothing," Nozomi said, resting her chin on her palm. "I wanted a change of atmosphere, I'm finding something else to draw."

She directed her attention to her sketchbook now, searching for a vacant page for simple sketching about the restaurant they were in, perhaps some lazy sketching with many lines would do since she didn't feel like it.

"Uh huh," Nico picked more fries, dabbing it to chili sauce. "Then draw, I don't have all the time to wait for you here."

"Hmm~ so Nicocchi wants to wait until I'm finished?" suddenly Nico choked at that.

"N-No! That's not what I meant!" she whipped an excuse, Nozomi smirked wider. "Look, I'm just bored so I wanted to accompany you, that's all!"

Nozomi hummed, "Okay, okay, let me start drawing something then so that you can go home faster~"

"Nozomi!"

Nico pouted, while suddenly Nozomi decided to draw something else that time.

_A pouting Nicocchi is nice. Oh, but smiling Nicocchi is nice too. Or should it be bored Nicocchi looking sideways? But maybe Nicocchi playing with her straw is better. I can't decide. Should I be going with Nico smiling? She smiles all the time when I'm not looking—_

"So what are you drawing?"

Nozomi was startled, actually, though she managed to stay calm, pencil directed her way to make another portrait of Yazawa Nico.

"Secret~"

"Oi."

* * *

**viii.**

Honoka waved energetically at Kotori, who was doing a few stretching on the rooftop as usual. The orange-haired girl made her way to the grey-haired dancer running, before stopping right in front of her, beaming.

She had something in mind today, actually.

"Kotori-chan, teach me how to dance!"

Kotori blinked, confusion filled her feature, "Ehh? Why?"

"I don't know, I just want to!" she exclaimed. "Will you teach me? Any moves are fine!"

After constant pleading, Kotori eventually gave in. She asked Honoka to stand beside her, watching her moves first before she pointed at where Honoka should follow.

With this, with Honoka moved the same way as the girl did, Honoka got the idea of angles she wanted to use. Also, she was happy to see the grey-haired girl up close, enjoying herself, chirping all the time about dancing with a wide smile on her face.

She was indeed—

"—Beautiful."

Kotori's feet went to abrupt stop, "Eh? W-What is it, Honoka-chan?"

Snapped from her trance, Honoka shook her head a few times, "I-It's nothing! It's nothing, hehe," she returned to focus on her own steps. "This turning thing is a bit hard, huh?"

"You can do it, Honoka-chan—"

As the orange-haired artist tried her spun, she lost her balance, slipping away and colliding with Kotori, making both of them fall to the dear floor, Honoka laying flat atop the dancer.

"Oww—I'm sorry, Kotori-chan …"

Honoka tried to relent, getting up to actually stopped, frozen in place as Kotori did the same. All she could hear at the moment was their own breaths, quickened and shortened, also rushed heartbeat that was not only hers.

"H-Honoka-chan?" she squeaked.

"Ah … right, sorry," Honoka got to her feet, eyes darted away to anything but Kotori. She held her mouth as well as covering her reddened face. "S, shall we stop now?"

Kotori nodded numbly, saying almost nothing afterward.

* * *

**ix.**

One and half week remained before every entry needed to be collected and both Nozomi and Honoka haven't started on (even) a single line to their canvas. They put up their easel and canvas again at the club meeting that week but working to nothing but another painting.

It was when one of art club's sculptor, Koizumi Hanayo, came in with lots of magazine by her hold.

"I'm sorry, who's requesting for these magazines last week?"

So someone already desperate for making a thing, it seemed. A handful of painters who was present gathered around batch Hanayo brought, flipping through its pages thoughtfully. Nozomi and Honoka followed soon after, getting the very bottom magazine from the stack.

"All of these are yours, Hanayo-chan?" Honoka asked.

"You can say that, ehehe," Hanayo shied away. "It's already old but still pretty decent. A few dated three to four years ago, some are still fresh last year."

Hanayo kept with her rant (Nozomi eventually listened), while Honoka breezed through pages. There were part nudity photos, some looked so pure with dresses and night gowns, some were taken balancing the nature and the model, and—

"Hey, Honoka-chan, isn't this …?"

"It's the girl from an issue two years ago, Nozomi-chan, she was a big talk in modeling industry back then," Hanayo said. "Minalinsky is a stage name, though."

"Oh and this one is a really cute girl, I ever wanted her autograph!" Hanayo glazed over the next page where she got a girl with raven hair draped freely on her shoulders looking on the camera donning her minimalist shirt. "I think her name is Nico, or something. Both of them didn't appear anymore on this year issues, I wonder why."

[For once, Honoka blinked and Nozomi swallowed.]

"I-Is something wrong, Honoka-chan, Nozomi-chan?"

* * *

**x.**

At last, she thought, she would use Kotori as her model, but her heart heavily rejected the idea.

She only knew Kotori by her name and nothing more beside her dance.

Once she knew she ever modeled before, she eventually scrapped her initial wish to make her as a subject for her painting.

It was just like Hanayo said after skipping those pages of the modeling magazine.

_'Once you know someone had disappeared from modeling stage, don't bring them back.'_

Her blue eyes looked up to where the rooftop was, silent and empty like usual. The sky was bright, the sun was about to change its shade to warmer colors by next minutes as she walked. She caught a glimpse of Minami Kotori there, holding the railing, her gaze unfocused to whatever below.

It took awhile for Honoka to realize that their eyes met.

'Honoka-chan' she said, lips forming another trail of words. 'Won't you come upstairs?'

* * *

**xi.**

She was deliberately late to her usual spot, wondering whether a certain black-haired imp would be there.

Nozomi was shocked to find Nico was there, sitting straight at her same spot looking at flowers by her feet, something that Nozomi always sketch about.

Those ruby eyes eventually turned to see Nozomi stood in silence, her usual smile faltered, forming only a thin line.

"Something's wrong?" Nico finally said. "Every time I come by, you'll be drawing already."

"I take that you're here only to see me drawing, all the time?" Nozomi managed to ask. "Nothing more?"

At first, Nico kept her face straight, before she opened her mouth to answer.

"What if I say yes?" there was a pause. "What if I say I _just_ wanted a company? What if I say I'm here because you looked at me differently than the others? What would you say? Will you really say what do you want?"

An obvious glare was enough for Nozomi to bit on her lips.

Took some while for Nozomi mustered herself to say something in response to Nico's sudden outburst. She was the one who decided to put a name to this relation, she was the one who initiated to be true to this meetings.

_She was the one who needs her and Nico—she was practically being used by her own selfish reason._

"Personally, I was searching for inspiration for my painting," Nozomi began. "Then you sat beside me, accompanied me, even signing my sketchbook for unknown reason, I was—I was going to ask whether you wanted to be my model but I … I don't know, it doesn't sound fair, I'm sounded like I'm using you for my own needs, I don't want that to happen."

[Nozomi wondered when the last time she was being truthful—]

* * *

**xii.**

"Kotori-chan?"

"Yes?"

They were sitting side-by-side, Kotori was heaving slightly after her dance practice. Honoka was hesitant to show off her book or whatever art supplies she had inside her back, practically armless. Her gaze softened to see Kotori smiled back at her, waiting for her to say.

"Why are you always alone up here?"

A roll to those amber eyes.

"I enjoyed being alone," she stated. "After all, it's better this way rather than being inside my class sometimes."

Honoka felt a lump in her throat, unable to make a simple comment like 'really, why?' or something similar indicating she didn't know the issue.

"You came by, I initially thought you had some business with me or something but … it was a different feeling," her smile grew. "I felt that I _finally_ find someone whom I can lean on."

Honoka knew, she couldn't betray that smile. She then produced her book, opened page to page where she had worked incomplete drawings, Kotori in different angles, mostly.

"You know … I was … sketching of you all this time without you knowing. I was going to ask you to be my model for my actual painting but – I'm afraid I might hurt you."

["I don't want to be a person who's taking benefit from you. I want to be your—"]

* * *

**xiii.**

However, as she finished, Nozomi was not expected the usual bored-looking Yazawa Nico to smile back at her, with utmost fondness and warmth she never thought could happen.

"I see," Nico closed her eyes. "I'm glad you finally said it." The time she opened her eyes, Nozomi noticed it has gone slight teary. "I'm glad that you're not another bad person inside my life."

(Nozomi was glad she didn't sweet it out with another lie.)

.

.

.

The next time they met, one week left for the submission to be collected.

With a new goal in mind, Nozomi arranged her easel and canvas, dusted it before putting her pencil into motion.

No, she was not present in usual art club meeting this week because she needed to do her work inside her apartment, together with her model.

 _Actually_ , she fought back dryness inside her throat already as her model posed. It was not the first time Nozomi went into a figure drawing, also it was not the first time she drew a picture alone.

She was surprised that Nico agreed to her suggestion.

In front of her, clad in only plain white, translucent fabric, Yazawa Nico seated on a wood chair she had prepared, one leg crossed. She lifted fabric around her thigh up, exposing a bit of skin underneath. Her usual twin tails were gone, replaced with long waves of a raven, shining under the light of the room. Nico wore this simple yet menacing smile, darting her eyes intently to her painter, sending Nozomi chills down to her spine.

"Enjoying the view?"

Nozomi forced a chuckle, "I wonder," her fingers itched of the beautiful sight, though, but she tried hard to press her attention to her canvas. "As expected from an ex-model."

Nozomi went to do her sketch as fast as possible before the momentum was far gone, capturing her own emotion into a single painting. The light setting was great, bright enough to show every feature she wanted to behold.

Maybe it was her thumping heart and wandering eyes which needed help most.

"How long since you were becoming a model?"

"Who knows?" Nico answered. She was professional; she held her gesture, not even faltering for a second. "I retire because I was fed up of it. Everyone still nagging me into it, which annoys me."

Nozomi cleared her throat, _clearly_ wanting to distract herself from seeing the naked figure behind that fabric. She needed to sketch it fast, applying the tones, shades of shadows, because the actual coloring and finishing touches would drag her on for days.

"I see that you're being uneasy for asking me to be a model, so it was because of my past," the sing-song tone made Nozomi flinched, nearly dropping her pencil. "It's okay, though, I know you're not a person like that, Nozomi."

[And there, almost fleetingly, Nico showed her unusual smile again—it took quite some time for not  _falling_.]

She finished a rough sketch not long after, telling Nico to rest away for her to clean stray and unneeded lines.

"I will show you the result later," Nozomi announced, focusing herself and erase some parts. "You can go home if you—"

Nozomi wasn't expecting Nico to be gone from where she seated to cling behind her, pressing herself against Nozomi, her head leaned near to the painter to gaze intently at the sketch.

She couldn't breathe anymore as Nico whispered to her ear.

"It's perfect," her voice was hushed. "It's perfect, just like how the painter is."

Nico circled her arm to Nozomi's waist, stayed, her ruby eyes deflecting dazed emerald. _Was it because they were too close or simply because Nico was far too hot for her because beneath that cloth she didn't wear anything on—_

"N-Nicocchi?" it was the first time Nozomi lost her composure, making Nico giggled softly in amusement.

"I will wait forever for this painting to be finished, until then …"

Nozomi didn't know when their faces were that close. Next to her, Yazawa Nico was there, breathtakingly beautiful with her raven hair loose, hugging her close.

She could no longer focus as that lips lingered on hers, close.

"… mind if I make some payback?"

* * *

**xiv.**

"H-Honoka-chan, is this fine with you?"

When Honoka turned after fetching her equipment from her bag, she couldn't help but stand agape at the view.

She was grateful that she decided to lock the door before proceeding with her plan for sketching.

Honoka wanted to use the rooftop but it didn't have much shade she needed, she then asked her club supervisor to borrow the club room since nobody used it at the moment. Honoka said to Kotori whether she was free to decide of the pose (with Kotori sitting on mountain of bench she had prepared) when suddenly Honoka came back to see the grey-haired girl now covered herself with white fabric belonged to art club hugging from behind, showing part of her toned midriffs—from all her dancing, Honoka guessed—and her creamy legs.

She looked like an angel with its white wings behind, however—

"I-I'm fine … I think."

Her sky blue couldn't stray at how Kotori managed her expression—lips slightly apart as she took a sideway glance not far from where she propped her easel, amber eyes were not fixated on her but inviting her to gaze into.

 _This is not so very good for her health_.

After managing her sweaty palms and dry throat were (at least) presentable to go, she started with the sketch. Honoka cursed inwardly as she didn't do realism very well, maybe she would fail at conveying how beautiful Kotori was.

 _"Honoka, fight-o-dayo_."

Her sketch was more into drawing an angel with fluttering but broken wings, gazing at the scenery below her with such tired-looking gaze to it. She planned to use paler color to complete the drawing, still unsure what other touches should be.

"Kotori-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you dancing a lot?"

She cracked a small smile while into it, "It was back on my modeling dance when I was asked to dance and I can't help but like it until now," her amber eyes slightly rolled to Honoka. "And I ended up practicing almost every afternoon."

"I see," her pencil stirred up, doing more shades work. "It's a good hobby."

"But I think being an artist is nicer."

Her composure nearly dropped, "Eh?"

"I wondered what artist thinking sometimes; every time they snapped photos or made paintings, I wonder what kind of excitement they felt," she said. "What do you feel when sketching me, Honoka-chan?"

 _Personally, I was holding back urges, Kotori-chan_. "I'm happy to find such a beautiful model for my project."

In turn, the model blushed, while Honoka contemplated saying a wrong thing.

"There, I'm finished. Ah, wait a second, let me be there."

That was when Honoka grabbed Kotori's arm from straying away from her, Kotori stopped to look at how Honoka's eyes gleamed slightly. They were not far parted, not near bonded, they were there, eyeing each other without words.

_Did words really needed? Honoka would love to simply sketch Kotori and showed her what she had in mind._

"Um," Honoka was hesitant. "Kotori-chan?"

Those amber eyes waning under her stern gaze. "Y, Yes?"

"Can you come a little closer?" Honoka said, hand still firm on the latter's arm. "I, uhh, there's  _something_ around your eyes."

[Although eventually, Honoka moved her right palm to pry Kotori's eyes from looking as she stole those lips, unable to hold back anymore.—]

* * *

**xv.**

"It's Hanayo-chan after all, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda unexpected but it's just how I _expected_."

The first place to earn the crown winner was a sculpture with a theme of a naked girl, bolder without anything else to cover but it was like a wooden image of a doll, gazing to its owner with translucent-looking eyes while the doll itself surrounded with red and green flowers. That art belonged to Koizumi Hanayo, with Nozomi already expected whoever the model was.

"Still, it was a good experience," Honoka said, tracing on her closed painting on the wall. "I managed to draw something in not abstract style for once."

"An angel huh~ I'm somewhat jealous of you, Honoka-chan."

Honoka, beet red, retorted. "Say someone who draws something _bolder_   with transparent—"

"S-Stop at that!"

That was the last time they checked their own painting before tomorrow's art exhibition opened.

"Mind introducing me to your girlfriend tomorrow, Honoka-chan?"

"Geez, stop it. As long as you and Nico-chan are not in your own _world_."

**[ ]**


End file.
